Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All the United States Washington Poulsbo 'Little Norway on the Fjord'

'Little Norway on the Fjord'

The small town of Poulsbo in Washington state is the next best thing to the Kingdom of Norway.

Poulsbo, Washington

Added By
uremailingalex
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
Viking Fest Parade   Steven Pavlov on Wiki
Front Street, Poulsbo, Washington   Joe Mabel on Wiki
City Hall   Steven Pavlov on Wiki
First Lutheran Church   Joe Mabel on Wiki
  adrenalinesleeper / Atlas Obscura User
  adrenalinesleeper / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

This little town located on the Kitsap Peninsula is playfully known as "Little Norway on the Fjord" has been the home to a Nordic population since its very founding.

Pronounced "pauls-bow," the town name's strange spelling is the result of one of the town founders who, when filling out an application for township to the Postmaster general, had such bad handwriting that the postmaster misread his messy scrawl and the town has been officially "misspelled" ever since.

A nordic village similar to Leavenworth's Bavarian Village in dedication to recreation, Poulsbo is as Norwegian as one can get without traveling to the "the northward route." The Scandinavian settlers who decided to call the little piece of Washington theirs found it so similar to their homeland they felt right at home, and for many years it was just that—a little piece of Norway, fjords, snowy mountaintops and all, with Norwegian being the only language spoken until World War II forced English onto the vernacular.

The town is a popular boating destination, and home to Sluy's Bakery, Poulsbo's highly-touted provider of pastry goodies. Sluy's sell their bread worldwide and specialize in (of course) Nordic baked goods. In the town's main park you can also see a statue of King Olaf in front of the Sons of Norway Hall.

Related Tags

Outsider Architecture Performances

Know Before You Go

Poulsbo is located on the Kitsap Peninsula and accessible by the WA State Ferries from Edmonds and Seattle.

Community Contributors

Added By

uremailingalex

Edited By

Rachel, VisitKitsap, Molly McBride Jacobson, adrenalinesleeper

  • Rachel
  • VisitKitsap
  • Molly McBride Jacobson
  • adrenalinesleeper

Published

June 24, 2014

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • http://www.examiner.com/article/visit-little-norway-on-the-fjord
  • http://voices.yahoo.com/historic-downtown-poulsbo-washingtons-little-norway-39173.html
  • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norway
'Little Norway on the Fjord'
Poulsbo, Washington, 98370
United States
47.735928, -122.646537

Nearby Places

The Licorice Shrine

Poulsbo, Washington

miles away

Haleets Rock

Bainbridge Island, Washington

miles away

Bainbridge Island Frog Rock

Bainbridge Island, Washington

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Poulsbo

Poulsbo

Washington

Places 2

Nearby Places

The Licorice Shrine

Poulsbo, Washington

miles away

Haleets Rock

Bainbridge Island, Washington

miles away

Bainbridge Island Frog Rock

Bainbridge Island, Washington

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Poulsbo

Poulsbo

Washington

Places 2

Related Places

  • The front signage of Third Man Records.

    Nashville, Tennessee

    Third Man Records

    Jack White's record store is the only place in the world that records live shows direct-to-acetate.

  • Meridian, Mississippi

    Jimmie Rodgers Museum

    This small museum showcases the Singing Brakeman's yodeling prowess, railroad roots, and country music stardom.

  • Henry Turner Jr. rejects the notion that the blues should be frozen in time.

    Baton Rouge, Louisiana

    Henry Turner Jr’s Listening Room

    There's no booze at this juke joint—just some of the best blues in Baton Rouge.

  • The exterior of Pjazza Teatru Rjal at night.

    Valletta, Malta

    Pjazza Teatru Rjal

    Valletta’s outdoor theatre stands within the ruins of a 19th-century opera house.

  • The DeSoto House Hotel, opened in 1855, is the oldest operating hotel in Illinois.

    Galena, Illinois

    DeSoto House Hotel

    The oldest operating hotel in Illinois enjoys a historic (and some say haunted) past.

  • Tina Scheer founded Timber Tina’s Great Maine Lumberjack Show to honor the state’s logging heritage.

    Trenton, Maine

    Timber Tina’s Great Maine Lumberjack Show

    This high-octane event honors Maine’s legacy as the birthplace of logging in the U.S.

  • Orchestra seating in the Grand 1894 Opera House.

    Galveston, Texas

    The Grand 1894 Opera House

    Despite changing times, the legendary stage has proved the show must always go on.

  • Tres Piedras, New Mexico

    $CRAP$ Shrine

    It is intended to take one back to a stripped-down simplicity, to spend extended time both inside and out, and absorb the natural drama of the Upper Rio Grande Valley.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.